Ivanka Trump's Brand Sued Over "Unfair Competition"

A class-action lawsuit against the first daughter's company says President Trump and counselor Kellyanne Conway provided publicity that therefore helped boost sales.

Although Ivanka Trump has distanced herself from her namesake brand, the business can't seem to catch a break. The first daughter's company has been sued by a San Francisco-based retailer over "unfair competition."

Modern Appealing Clothing (MAC) has filed a class-action lawsuit against Ivanka Trump Marks, LLC, claiming that the defendant has gained unfair advantage "from Donald J. Trump being the President of the United States and from Ivanka Trump and her husband, Jared, working for the President of the Unites States," according to court documents published by the International Business Times.

The suit was filed Thursday in San Francisco Superior Court.

The lawsuit says President Trump and counselor Kellyanne Conway provided publicity for Ivanka's lines and therefore helped boost their sales. Trump defended his daughter on Twitter, saying that Nordstrom was treating her unfairly when the retailer announced it would be dropping her line due to declining sales. Conway appeared on Fox & Friends in February and told viewers to "go buy Ivanka's stuff."

Searches for Ivanka's brand did increase in February, according to Refinery29, which cited a report from e-commerce aggregator Lyst. The brand's sales increased by 346 percent from January to February and 557 percent in February compared to same period last year. Abigail Klem, president of the Ivanka Trump brand, also told Refinery29 that the brand has surged in the past six months.

Resale site ThredUP, however, reported that sellers are putting their Ivanka Trump products up at an increased rate.

The suit also asked for a restraining order that prevents the Ivanka Trump label from being sold in California. The document read, "As a result of their unlawful acts, defendants have reaped and continue to reap unfair benefits and illegal profits at the expense of plaintiff MAC and the Class it seeks to represent."

Modern Appealing Clothing was founded in San Francisco by brother and sister Ben and Chris Ospital, with their mom, Jeri, in 1980. MAC, described as "San Francisco's fashion Wonderland," has locations in the Hayes Valley and Dogpatch neighborhoods.

A rep for the Ivanka Trump brand did not immediately respond to The Hollywood Reporter's request for comment.